1908: Runanga Miners Hall
December 2, 2023
By AHNZ
Runanga Miners’ Hall, West Coast, emblazoned with socialist slogans, was opened on 2 December, 1908. Arson claimed it in the 1930s but it was soon rebuilt. One of the places where the New Zealand Socialist Party got going though they later changed their name to the Labour Party.
From the mid-2010s to 2020s the hall has been worth more dead than alive. It was shut down with many other heritage buildings when the great Earthquake Pandemic struck. It has attracted Lottery Grants, Heritage New Zealand category 1 status, and is now looking for World Heritage Status. The project received $400,000 from the Labour 6.0 Ministsry as part of the New Zealand First coalition joining fee (aka Provincial Growth Fund.)
An institution that works, that stands on its own feet, is loved and maintained, does not need to be put on welfare. A ‘dead’ entity, on the other hand, is worth much more in the Crapitalist Economy of government hand-outs. This creates a Perverse Incentive to keep New Zealand heritage entities as exaggeratedly dead as possible so they can attract the maximum amount of stolen money from The State. It also prologues the process because if the work were ever to be completed it would spell then end of the Gravy Train.
Bureaucracy expands to keep up with the needs of an expanding bureaucracy. Whoever is riding the Rununga Hall as their money train will only quit it when it is either a written off wreck or when they can find a better ‘project’ to leap-frog into. Itinerant carpet-bagging bureaucrats make a career out of things like this. Their specialty isn’t history or restoration but filling out forms with the right Politically Correct check-boxes and lobbying their political networks.
Apparently the roof and walls of the Hall are stronger than before but the hall is still not in use and looks uglier than when the money started flowing.
“The Hall was paid for by donations from Greymouth businesses and money from both the State- as the employer- and the Union. It was the first community hall in New Zealand built with such co-operation from business, state and union.” – display panel, Runanga
“…what ever happened to the money for the Labour 6.0 Provincial Growth Fund?…Ref. Auditor-General says Provincial Growth Fund investments not properly scrutinized” – Anarchist Explains Foreign Aid, AHNZ
“Some invest their hopes in a false external savior called Labour 6.0’s Provincial Growth Fund which is really just a pocket money allowance for New Zealand First to bribe its way to re-election with. If a community wants to survive it needs to be autonomous, not be on life-support from the taxed wealth of others.” – 2010s: Local Papers Die, AHNZ
“The current work is costing $425,000 on top of the $1.5 million spent so far. It was estimated a further $3 to $5m was needed to complete the job…” – Greymouth Star 25/9/23
“The Runanga Miners’ Hall is part of a UNESCO serial nomination of ‘Workers Halls’ across the World to be considered for World Heritage status! The serial nomination is being promoted by Arbejermuseet – The Workers Museum located in Copenhagen, Denmark. Jo Hart and Russell Deyell who are leading the nomination project for the Runanga Miners’ Hall Trust had the chance to visit the museum on Tuesday (20 September) to talk more about the Runanga Hall and its merit for nomination face to face with the Arbejermuseet team!” – Runanga Miners’ Hall Project – ‘Restoring the Hall, Restoring the Community, Facebook (2022)
“Funding so far has included $465,000 in insurance money from the Grey District Council, $683,000 from Lotteries and $408,000 from the Provincial Growth Fund. ” – Grey Star (2024)
Some of the grant money that could have been spent on paint and repairs was spent on flying some of the Runanga Comrades all the way to Denmark! Only there could they make their pitch to the United Nations for yet more money and influence to get more paint and repairs! Lefty Logic.
I wish they would stick to their roots and be a living hall funded by workers, employers, and business. Instead, it’s a welfare project. Such is the labour movement today.
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Note: The Zealand First coalition joining fee has been paid again in 2023 but this time by National 6.0. Instead of being called the Provincial Growth Slush Fund it’s to be known as The Regional Infrastructure Fund. Call it by a different name and New Zealander’s wont suspect a thing! Ref. NZ First’s new provincial fund won’t be a ‘slush fund’ this time – Chris Bishop, RNZ (November, 2023)
Image ref. Hall, 2009. Steve Reekie
Image ref. Hall, AHNZ Archives (2022)
See also: 2016: The Rotorua Museum Scam, AHNZ
See also: 1967: Opepe Canoe Rescue, AHNZ
See also: 1876: Minerva Rises, AHNZ
2 thoughts on "1908: Runanga Miners Hall"
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It’s OK that the hall is being restored, but it is not OK that it is a part of the gradual takeover of individual and community freedoms.
Let us all be aware that we should make our own decisions and take responsibility for them.
No one has the right to tell us what we can and cannot do.
Yes. Rununga thinks it can use big Government (including UN) more than it will be used in turn. Don’t know about that!
But they are an impressive community from what I hear. Doing for themselves when the Grey Council take but don’t give back.